


Scarlet Desires

by graveman



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-10-29 19:43:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17814332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/graveman/pseuds/graveman
Summary: Just another little RDR fanfic where I explore a means of curing Arthur's TB and discovering new trials for him and John Marston's relationship. Possibilities are endless here, as it doesn't follow a specific in game storyline so, join me on this journey and let's see where this goes together. :)





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> -Ahem- so this crazy little idea here was brought up by my best friend. Sorta, kinda. She mentioned why not have Arthur become a vampire to combat his TB? I ran with one little line she gave me. She doesn't even play the game. -rapid clapping- Anyways... I'm taking a stab at this. I never wrote something pertaining to vampires so try to bare with me guys as we go along this new journey together.
> 
> I haven't took my time to find the vamp, torment him or test out theories with him myself but I've watched a few videos so I know he's fine in the sunlight (kinda disappointed there) but I don't think still if you submerged him in water, tied up he would survive. Either way, he wouldn't in this scenario, we gotta get Arthur what he wants somehow!
> 
> I will try to keep this updated regularly along with the other fic. I will try my damndest! Because I enjoy writing these as ya'll read them.

_Desperation will make a man do crazy things... questionable things. Funny thing about it is you don't even see the desperation coming till it's there... Ain't nobody above it either, not even me._

Arthur Morgan sat there on his horse at the edge of the lake, gazing out into the horizon. After a moment he finally spoke, breaking the thick silence surrounding them.

"Have you decided?" The question seemed calm enough but there was an anger just waiting to show itself.

"You are a fool, an imbecile! Who would desire such a life of damnation?!" The voice hissed out from the back of his horse.

A deep sigh escaped Arthur. "Have it your way..." He muttered under his breath as he climbed off of his horse. Blue eyes glared at the death defying creature before him. "All the stories about ya swirling around Saint Denis and you can take the sunlight... but let's see if ya can breathe under water." Arthur reached out to remove his tied up victim from the horse.

"Why do you want this? You have no idea of what accompanies it!"

"That ain't none of your concern there, Nosferatu." Arthur retorted as he began to walk into the river.

"Bahhg!"

"I hope ya got gills, partner." Arthur persisted, the water now coming up to his waist line. He wasn't even sure if this thing he set out to achieve would even work but he was willing to take risk and try.

"You will never die... time drags on without you... You lose all those around you... You fade to nothing - a monster."

Arthur scoffed. "Well I don't know about all that but not dying is kinda the point ain't it?" He asked sarcastically.

Desperation; Arthur Morgan didn't think he would feel such a thing, until he was slapped by fate. He tried to come to terms with his illness, find his inner peace and yet no matter what he did to make amends or the people he talked to, he wanted to live and that was why he took to the streets of Saint Denis on what he had presumed was only a wild goose chase for a mystery man; a creature of the night.

Rumors swirled about and yet nobody had known for sure what this creature truly was - a vampire rumored to be, stalking their prey in the night and sucking them dry of their blood.

Arthur didn't much care for those things but what had gotten him a little starry eyed and hopeful was the immortality that came along with it.

_"He leaves clues, for those curious on him... I wouldn't go looking for them though, most fellas don't come back..."_  Arthur had been told by one man.

_"He stalks the alley ways but stay away from them, you'll regret it!"_  Another woman had spoken to him.

_"A vampire? Have you been drinking sir?"_

Along with other things Arthur had heard among the civilians and yet, he had expected more. This creature of the night had barely been a challenge for him to tackle and hog tie, Arthur had met fouler men in his life than this that would live and die of mortality. Perhaps it was a game of advantage and surprise though that Arthur had over him.

"Aight, let's see if you're truly invincible..." Arthur grumbled as he shifted the weight on his shoulders with intent to throw the vampire into the river and yet delaying the process all the same. He wanted  **his**  answer, not this thing's answer and not for this creature to die. He set out for one thing, and one thing alone.

"Alright I give in! You are a complete fool but I will grant your request!" The vampire retorted in haste.

A small smile crossed Arthur's features. "Glad you see it my way!" He took the both of them back to shore, dropping the immortal being onto the ground.

"Now if I cut ya free and you try anything funny, it's gonna be a bad time for you..." He grumbled as he retrieved his knife. In all honesty, he expected the vampire to run once the ropes were cut free or perhaps try to charge at him once more but to his surprise when they were, the other merely stood up and scowled at him.

"You'll regret this, I promise it to you."

"Well, maybe if I look like-" Arthur's words trailed off as he eyed the other up and down once over. "Never mind... ya see, I'm sick and if I go on, I'll die soon... guess I wasn't ready for it like I thought I was."

"I' am immune to human ailments, but are you truly ready for this lifelong eternity and what comes with it?"

Arthur looked down, taking in a deep, difficult breath, releasing it soon after. "Thought about it long and hard. Wrote about it. Hell, I even dreamed about it... yes, I' am."

Hesitantly, with doubt, the other being spoke. "...Very well." The vampire reached for his dagger and pulled it out.

"What is that for?!" Arthur exclaimed.

"We can go about this two ways, I can penetrate your neck and exchange your blood with my saliva, or I can create a wound from which you drink. Since I have determined you are a foul little man, I would rather do the latter."

"...Charming but, okay." Arthur shrugged.

"Wounds heal fast, be quick." The vampire warned as he reached out his arm and pulled up his coat and shirt sleeve. Arthur nodded as he leaned in closer in anticipation. Quickly, the vampire slid the dagger along his wrist, causing a wound to open up enough for blood to spill out. Arthur took hold of his arm and went in for the taking.

The taste was bitter and the liquid ran cold. Arthur had to resist the urge to turn away and spit the blood out, fighting with his gag reflex each swallow but he managed. Somehow, he managed. He was only pushed away when the night creature shoved him off.

"That'll be enough!"

Arthur stumbled back but managed to keep his balance. For a creature that looked as if he was on deaths door and yet defying it all the same, he had some strength behind him after all. The cut healed almost instantaneously.

"My job here is done... enjoy your curse." The vampire scoffed as he turned to walk away.

"Wait!..." Arthur exclaimed, reaching out a hand. "Wait... when, how will I know?"

The undead man looked over his shoulder at Arthur Morgan. "Trust me, you'll know."

"What about the uhh..." Arthur's words trailed off as he wiped whatever blood remained away from his mouth. "The feeding...? Does it have to be people; can't I substitute it for ya know, animals?"

The vampire quirked a brow as a sarcastic chuckle left him. "Animals..." he scoffed. "I'm not lingering to be your teacher! I did my part, you're on your own now." He retorted as he walked off.

Arthur just sighed as he watched him leave and he wondered, just what exactly would come of this - the things left unanswered.

 

_____

 

I did it, I went through with it and made a deal with maybe not the devil but the devil's spawn...? whatever the outcome maybe, I'll just have to see now... if nothing else, I've stopped the clock of age and cured the illness that plagued me? Imagine, if Dutch found out about eternal life, we'd all be in trouble then!

"Arthur!" His name was called from the campfire off to the left of him. "Come have a drink with us!"

Arthur looked up from his journal over to his circle of friends. A smile spread across his face as he closed the book and stowed it away in his satchel. He got up from where he sat and made his way over, Javier's music playing softly in the air.

"You seem like a lively bunch tonight." He chimed in as he took a seat beside John.

"Here, have a drink!" Bill reached out a hand to him with a beer to offer. Arthur took it with a nod of thanks.

"Where have you been the past couple days?" Bill asked.

Arthur opened the bottle and took a drink from it, a couple of his coughs making themselves known... Though his illness hadn't reached its full extent, Arthur truly hoped the ritual he had partaken in earlier would hold true to what he was told and that it wasn't all some sick joke. "Around... Neither here nor there."

"Neither here nor there?!" Bill questioned in response with a gasp to emphasize his disbelief. "Well you've been somewhere, you've been gone for days Dutch was just about to send one of us out looking for you.!"

Arthur shifted a bit. "Again, nowhere, really..."

Bill just stared at him for a moment intently. "... I don't buy it... You're up to something Arthur. Are you on some kind of new lead?"

Arthur took another drink of his beer, a soft scowl landing on the man. "Williamson, sometimes I wonder just where the hell you come up with the things brewing in that tiny little mind of yours... NO and if I do, Dutch'll be the first to hear of it."

"Mmmhmm..." Bill grumbled under his breath.

Arthur's gaze narrowed as he looked between them, Javier's music now stopped. "What is this, an interrogation?"

"We were just worried, Arthur..." John decided to pitch in.

Arthur sighed, looking over at him specifically. "Worried? Ain't like you to worry... Ain't like any of you lot to worry lately..." He muttered, glancing back to Javier. "Except him, he's the only one that hasn't seemed to change..." Arthur's words trailed off into quietness for a moment, until he stood up. "I've had a long day, I think I'm going to turn in."

"Arthur" John reached for his arm, but Arthur just jerked away from his grasp.

"Leave it Marston..." Arthur grumbled as he began to walk away.

"Night, Arthur..." Javier responded lowly.

John just looked down, frowning.

"I'm telling ya, something's off about him being gone for days and suddenly coming back. If it was John, yeah. But this is Arthur Morgan!" Bill proclaimed. John shot a glare his way. "Fuck off Williamson." He snapped.

"Whoa, relax! I'm just saying…" Bill defended.

"Sometimes you run your mouth too goddamn much and yet you don't know a damn thing." John retorted as he got up and stormed off.

"The hell is his problem?" Bill asked but Javier only shrugged


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! Lemme just say, I wanna explain what's happening in this chapter but I don't wanna give everything away at once either. It might not make sense but it will! Just, bare with me people. :3 Have a little faith, I got a plan.
> 
> Also, my other fanfic might be late... I sat around didn't work on it til last minute. I'm bad, I know... School and my role play life got the better of me. I already had this one done by the Grace of God, Hah... but I did say I would try. There will be times I might not be able to update regularly because I choose something else to spend my time on instead. For that, I'am sorry! I will get it out ASAP. :) I appreciate you guys staying patient and staying with me!

_'It's been four days now and I haven't felt or seen any effects of that creature's bite... He said it could take a week but I suspected I would've felt something by now... Maybe this was all for a lost cause...'_

Arthur sighed as he made his way through the camp, a couple of coughs coming from him as he done so. Even that didn't feel any different.

"Arthur!" The voice called out and it made his jaw clench tight in aggravation. "Arthur... can we please talk now?"

Arthur stopped, feeling the hand on his shoulder. He glared up at John Marston from under the rim of his hat. "You're not gonna leave me alone till we do... are ya?"

John just merely looked at him with that puppy dog expression that he damn well knew Arthur couldn't resist. "No..."

Arthur let out a deep breath as he took hold of John by the shirt. "Follow me." He growled, dragging John off along with him to a more secluded area a little ways from the camp and away from the others.

"What the hell is going on?" Arthur snapped, releasing his hold on John with a shove to the other man.

John stumbled backwards but kept his balance as he scowled back at Arthur. "Me? What the hell is going on with you? Why did you leave for days on end? You didn't tell any of us where you were going, what you were doing..."

"Don't give me this hypocritical bullshit John Marston... ain't none of your business, 'cause you didn't make it ours when you left all of us for a whole goddamn year..."

"This ain't about me!" John protested.

"The hell it ain't. It's all about you! It's always about you... insecure, jealous, doesn't know what the hell he wants but yet wants everything at the same damn time." Arthur retorted with seething anger coming through. "Ya left us both and you came back like nothing happened... I'm tired of it. I'm tired of this wishy washy attitude... I-"

Suddenly Arthur felt a wave of dizziness begin to wash over him. He closed his eyes in an attempt to rid himself of the blackness that clouded his vision. "I..."

"Arthur, are you okay?" John asked with a sudden worry in his tone.

"Just a... just a minute..." Arthur muttered but it wasn't long after that he blacked out and fell back onto the ground.

"Arthur!" John exclaimed as he ran over to him and kneeled down at his side. John leaned in and to his relief Arthur was still breathing through ragged breaths. "Arthur!... Arthur, wake up!" John nudged him several times but to no avail. "Goddamnit Arthur..." John grumbled under his breath as he threw Arthur's arm over his shoulder, picking him up. He brought Arthur back into the camp.

"Arthur, my boy! What happened?!" Dutch exclaimed as he ran up to John as the man carried Arthur back to his tent.

"He fainted..." John muttered, laying him down on his cot. "He's still breathing though."

"John!" Abigail called out, making her way to the tent in haste. Dutch grabbed hold of her before she could come any closer. "Give them space..." He spoke to her, yet proceeded to ask "What happened exactly, John?"

John didn't turn back to look at either of them, swallowing hard. "N-nothing... We were just talking and he blacked out..." His words trailed off as he finally gave a slight glance over his shoulder at Dutch.

"Well, come on son, let him rest." Dutch instructed. John could only nod to this, making one final check just to be sure Arthur was as comfortable as he could possibly be in this state before he exited the tent with reluctance.

 

_____

 

Later that night

"John... John!" Abigail called out, opening up the flaps of Arthur's tent to look inside. "Aren't you coming to bed, John?" She asked.

John barely shot her a glance from where he sat. "No, think I'll stay here for the night…" He muttered. He had returned earlier that evening to check in on Arthur and hadn't left since.

"You sure? Jack will be awfully disappointed." Her persistence didn't come without its annoyance, a never ending thing between the two of them it seemed.

"I said I'm not coming, Abigail!" John snapped, throwing a scowl her way, with some kind of regret he knew would follow but at the moment, there wasn't any time for that… It would have to wait, they would have to wait. This was more important.

"Well, you don't have to be so hateful about it! Stay here for all I care... You always do what you want anyways." She retorted as she turned to storm off.

John just drew in a deep breath, his mind a thousand other places than her in this moment. It killed him inside to think that his and Arthur's argument that morning may have been a trigger to this sudden episode but that was a lingering thought nagging at the back of his mind.

"J-J-John...?" Arthur's voice faintly called out.

John's attention snapped back to him in haste. "Arthur! Are you okay, can I get you anything? He asked.

"Where are we? I..." Arthur's words were cut off by a shiver and the chatter of his teeth. "I'm freezing..."

"Beaver Hollow, Arthur..." John answered as he leaned in to place a hand to Arthur's forehead, only to frown with concern. "You're ice cold..." He reached down for Arthur's hand and to no surprise that too was freezing. "Jesus..." He muttered as he began to rub Arthur's hand in a means to see if he could provide some warmth.

"Stop!" Arthur exclaimed suddenly. "Feels like you're breaking it!"

John immediately let go of Arthur's hand, causing a sharp hiss to come from the other man as it fell to the ground.

"Goddamnit, John Marston!"

"I... I'm sorry... what can I do to help you?" John asked, brows furrowing in concern. He felt worse than he had before. Whether it be guilt or genuine concern, John wanted to make up for all of this, to help Arthur in whatever way he could, to provide some sort of comfort.

"Don't touch me for one thing..." Arthur grumbled between his chattering teeth again. "It's so cold... aren't you cold?"

"No..." John trailed off as he stared down at Arthur, swallowing hard. "Do you want me to go get another blanket?" He asked.

"S-sure"

John reached out to him but had to resist the urge to touch him again. "Okay, I'll be right back."

Arthur only gave the faintest of nods before John left. He looked around, vision a little blurry still. What was this? A new symptom of his illness perhaps? He felt as if he was on death's door and for all he knew, maybe he was. His body ached like it hadn't before, each bone stiff and feeling as if it were breaking to the touch and if he looked at something too fast, his world spun and his stomach churned.

"Just what do you think you're doing John Marston?!" Arthur heard Abigail's voice explode in the distance.

"I'm taking this blanket... you're not using it."

"For what?!" Abigail had persisted.

"...Arthur."

A quietness seemed to settle over the bickering couple for a moment but then some more words were exchanged between them. Arthur couldn't even find it in himself to feel bad for either or to feel guilty in the situation for being the topic to cause the rift.

"Just drop it Abigail... He's sick for Christ's sake."

"You won't come sleep with us and now you're taken our blankets to him... you're an odd little man Marston!" Abigail shouted.

John came back to Arthur's tent in a huff. "That woman will drive a man mad..." he grumbled as he carefully placed the blanket over Arthur, careful to mind his earlier complaints as he tucked the sides in.

Arthur quietly scoffed. "Ya love her though..." his words were nearly a whisper.

John stared down at him, eyes narrowing to a scowl. "Do I? Or am I just..." he sighed then, shaking his head. "Never mind it... Maybe this'll help to get you warm." Once he was finished tucking in the edges of the blanket, he gently brushed lose strands of hair away from Arthur's face and settled in a spot at Arthur's bedside.

Everything was quiet between the two of them, John thinking about how everything seemed to be going to shit in his personal circle and Arthur perhaps wondering if this was the night he was going to die and if his efforts to prevent it were in vain.

"I'm sorry" John spoke up again. "I'm sorry about arguing with you... I guess you're right, I don't know what I want but do I really want it all, Arthur?" He glanced over at his friend. "What if I'm just scared of letting go?"

Arthur cast a glance his way but nothing more, his own struggle being too taxing for him to even want to speak. The blanket did nothing to curb the freezing temperature coursing through his body, shivers overcoming him now and then.

"I know I've kinda been a hardass, guess I still got some stuff to sort out but just know it isn't you Arthur... it never was." John sighed deeply. When he looked back to Arthur, he noticed the shivering and he felt his heart ache. "I wish I could do something else for you."

"Y-you're f-fine..." Arthur muttered.

"You're not..." John shook his head, reaching to retrieve a cloth which he used to gently wipe away the cold sweat that started to build on Arthur's forehead.

"I' am" Arthur responded lowly even though he knew that was a bold face lie. "But I'm tired, I'm just gonna... Close my eyes for a bit, again..."

"Sure Arthur, get some rest... I'll be here if you need anything."

Arthur wanted to protest that but he just didn't have the energy to say anything. Instead he found himself slipping back into his unconscious state.

That was the most sleepless night that John had in years, with him waking up every half hour it seemed just to check in Arthur was still breathing. To his relief, Arthur maintained his breathing through the night, though shallow and wheezy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, leave a review and follow if you wanna read more! I always appreciate the feedback.

**Author's Note:**

> Fav, follow, review! If you like the story, wanna see more of it, don't be afraid to show your support ~
> 
> This will be another Arthur/John fic so, expect some manly loving in the future. ;) So, if you're down for that, wanna see that, stick around! We have so many possibilities here with this fic because it will not be following any specific storyline in the game. Who knows what'll happen? You'll just hafta see.


End file.
